JHTA boss wants more local products in hotels

Newly elected president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), Robin Russell, is imploring Jamaicans to tap into their creative genius to create products that will entice tourists to spend more locally.

He said that while the sector continues to see unprecedented levels of growth in arrivals and revenue, more needs to be done to ensure that the country retains a greater portion of the tourism dollar.

The JHTA president was speaking at the opening ceremony for the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry 2022 Business Expo held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, Rose Hall, St James, last Friday.

He said that the sector continues to be a catalyst for growth, providing the country's main source of foreign revenue, and has grown by 36 per cent in the last 30 years compared to overall economic growth of 10 per cent for the same period.

However, he noted that despite a buoyant industry, the tourism dollar does not stay in the destination.

"We have ways to go in retaining that tourism dollar in Jamaica, and I challenge each and every one of you to find that product that will [make] one more dollar [from the] four-point odd million tourists [per year]," Russell said.

He urged Jamaicans to "look at providing products to hotels that are locally produced, not imported".